Beverage Glass/Food Sampling Transport and Stabilizing System

ABSTRACT

A serving tray for stably holding wine glasses and food items simultaneously while suspended by a use or set on a horizontal surface. The tray includes a slot for supporting the stem of a wine glass and a corresponding channel on the underside of the tray for accepting the base of the wine glass in the event that the tray is set down. The underside of the tray may also include a number of supports that assist in spacing the tray apart from a horizontal surface and encouraging the base of the wince glass to remain in the channel formed in the underside of the tray. As a result, when the tray is set down, the wine glasses will not become unstable and the tray will remain balanced.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/914,922, filed on Apr. 30, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a food and beverage support racks and, more particularly, to a system for supporting stemmed glasses and food pairings.

2. Description of the Related Art

Attendees at wine and food tasting events, including educational classes, frequency need to balance one or more stemmed wine glasses along with samples or small portions of food items. The only conventional systems for handling such items, apart from balancing a wine glass in one hand and food in the other, consist of food trays having a slot for accepting and retaining the stem of a wine glass. When such trays are set down, however, the wine glasses often become unstable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a system for supporting food items and stemmed glassware that is more stable.

It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a system for supporting foot items and stemmed glassware that can stabilize multiple stemmed glasses.

In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention provides a plant tray having a first predetermine region for supporting food items and a second predetermined region for supporting stemmed glassware. The first predetermined region may comprise any known structures for supporting food items, such as divided compartments or even apertures for accepting small cups and the like. The second predetermined region comprises a narrow slot formed in the perimeter of the tray for accepting the stem of the glassware that communicates with a larger diameter hole into which a portion of the bowl of a glass may rest. The underside surface of the tray further includes a channel of sufficient depth to accept the base of the stemmed glassware when the tray is set down on a horizontal surface, such as a table. The underside of the tray may further include a plurality of longitudinal spacers to space the tray apart from any surface onto which it is placed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is top view of a device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one aspect of a device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is top view of an alternative embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is bottom view of an alternative embodiment according to the present invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 a stabilizing tray 10 according to the present invention. Tray 10 comprises a planar body 12 having an upper surface 14, a lower surface 16, and a peripheral edge 18. Body 12 includes at least one slot 20 formed into peripheral edge 16 that extends inwardly into body 12. Body 12 further includes at least one hole 22 formed therethrough that is in communication with slot 20. It should be recognized by those of skill in the art that slot 20 is dimensioned to accept the stem of conventional glassware, such as a wine glass, and that hole 22 is dimensioned to partially accept the bowl of the glassware, thereby suspending the glassware in a stabile position when tray 10 is held by a user.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, lower surface 16 of body 12 includes a channel 24 formed therein that extends around hole 22 and slot 20 to peripheral edge 16. Channel 24 preferably has a depth corresponding to the thickness of the base of a conventional stemmed wine glass. Lower surface 16 optionally includes a plurality of longitudinal support members 26 extending thereunder. Support member 26 are preferably positioned at location on lower surface 16 and of sufficient length long enough to stably support tray 10 on a horizontal surface, such as a table or countertop. Upper surface 14 may include any number of conventional structures for retaining food items, such as partitions or holes for supporting cups and the like.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in an alternate embodiment of tray 10 of the present invention, slot 20 of body 12 that is formed into peripheral edge 16 and extends inwardly into body 12 is provided with a width sufficient to accept a glass, such as a pilsner beer glass. As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, multiple slots 20 of varying widths may be interspersed or arranged around peripheral edge 16 of tray 10 to accommodate multiple beverages of varying sizes, such as wine and beer glasses. Tray 10 may further be provided with thumb holes 30 positioned on either side of tray 10 to assist a user in carrying tray 10 as well as placing tray 10 down onto or lifting tray 10 up from a planar surface, such as a table. Bottom surface of tray 10 may optionally be provided with or formed to have a non-slip surface for improved stability when set on a planar surface. Tray 10 may also include hooks (not shown) for hanging tray 10 on the side of a table or desk. It should be recognized by those of skill in the art that tray 10 may be provided as part of a kit, such as a suitcase, that includes the appropriate glassware and cups for use in combination with tray 10 for events, such as wine and beer tastings. 

1. A tray for supporting food items and glassware, comprising: a body having a peripheral edge; a slot formed in said peripheral edge; a hole formed through said body and including a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter that is greater than said first diameter; and wherein said hole is positioned in communication with said slot.
 2. The tray of claim 1, further comprising at least one support on said body configured to space said tray apart from a surface on which said tray is placed.
 3. The tray of claim 2, wherein said second portion of said slot is dimensioned to accept the stem of a wine glass.
 4. The tray of claim 3, wherein said first portion of said hole is dimensioned to accept the bowl of a wine glass.
 5. The tray of claim 4, wherein the said second portion of said hole is dimensioned to accept the base of a wine glass.
 6. The tray of claim 1, wherein said slot includes a first section having a first width and a second section having a second width that is greater than said first width.
 7. The tray of claim 6, wherein the second width of said second section of said slot is substantially equal to said second diameter of said second portion of said hole.
 8. A tray for supporting food items and glassware, comprising: a body having a peripheral edge; a plurality of slots formed in said peripheral edge; a plurality of holes formed through said body, each of which includes a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter that is greater than said first diameter; and wherein each of said plurality of holes is in communication with one of said plurality of slots.
 9. The tray of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of supports on said body configured to space said tray apart from a surface on which said tray is placed.
 10. The tray of claim 9, wherein said body includes an upper surface and a lower surface.
 11. The tray of claim 10, wherein said supports on positioned on said lower surface of said tray and said body includes a second plurality of holes formed therethrough.
 12. The tray of claim 11, wherein said first plurality of holes are dimensioned to receive wine glasses and said second plurality of holes are dimensioned to receive beer glasses.
 13. The tray of claim 12, further comprising a third set of holes formed through said body positioned proximately to said peripheral edge.
 14. The tray of claim 13, wherein said third set of holes are dimensioned to accept the thumbs of a user.
 15. The tray of claim 14, wherein the upper surface of said body includes partitions.
 16. The tray of claim 15, wherein the lower surface of said body includes a non-slip surface. 